Does anyone on the boards suffer from asthma? It is quite common, but in varying degrees. My asthma is off and on, but generally during the Spring and early Summer it returns and can be quite painful for one to bear. I was wondering that anyone who suffers with it on here would have some remedies for it besides the standard inhaler remedy. Last night, because of this flu I'm trying to kick out of my system, my asthma is returning and becoming painful again.

Just for those who are not too familiar with asthma, here is a bit of information regarding it:

From Wikipedia:

Signs and symptoms
In some individuals asthma is characterized by chronic respiratory impairment. In others it is an intermittent illness marked by episodic symptoms that may result from a number of triggering events, including upper respiratory infection, airborne allergens, and exercise.

An acute exacerbation of asthma is referred to as an asthma attack. The clinical hallmarks of an attack are shortness of breath (dyspnea) and either wheezing or stridor. Although the latter is "often regarded as the sine qua non of asthma," some victims present primarily with coughing, and in the late stages of an attack, air motion may be so impaired that no wheezing may be heard. When present the cough may sometimes produce clear sputum. The onset may be sudden, with a sense of constriction in the chest, breathing becomes difficult, and wheezing occurs (primarily upon expiration, but can be in both respiratory phases).

Signs of an asthmatic episode or asthma attack are either stridor or wheezing, rapid breathing (tachypnea), prolonged expiration, a rapid heart rate (tachycardia), rhonchous lung sounds (audible through a stethoscope), and over-inflation of the chest. During a serious asthma attack, the accessory muscles of respiration (sternocleidomastoid and scalene muscles of the neck) may be used, shown as in-drawing of tissues between the ribs and above the sternum and clavicles, and the presence of a paradoxical pulse (a pulse that is weaker during inhalation and stronger during exhalation).

During very severe attacks, an asthma sufferer can turn blue from lack of oxygen, and can experience chest pain or even loss of consciousness. Severe asthma attacks may lead to respiratory arrest and death. Despite the severity of symptoms during an asthmatic episode, between attacks an asthmatic may show few signs of the disease.

Diagnosis
In most cases, a physician can diagnose asthma on the basis of typical findings in a patient's clinical history and examination. Asthma is strongly suspected if a patient suffers from eczema or other allergic conditions

I suffered from it when I was younger...I had to use an inhaler when needed...but I grew out of it.  Vaughn had it when he was very young....but he seems to be growing out of it as well, although when he is getting a cold, he gets very congested and we have to give him breathing treatments on occasion.

They always told my mother Vaporized Mentholatum rub (salve) works sometimes to relieve some of the breathing issues.  She had chronic Bronchial Asthma...constantly coughing and sitting up nights.  She always elevated her head or upper torso when the asthma was compounded by a cold.  Feel better.

I have Asthma. As a kid, I had it pretty severely. I was in and out of the hospital all the time. They even thought that maybe I had Cystic Fibrosis. But luckily it was 'just Asthma'. When I was a kid, (this was in the 60's /70's) , when I was admitted to the hospital, they'd have this big oxygen tent on my crib. I can remember it clearly, because it would get so cold inside.  They also would have the respiratory therapist do 'postural drainage' on me. that's where they put the head of the bed down and I'd be practically standing on my head and they would pound on my chest and back and then have me cough up phlegm.  They still have those treatments these days, but now they've advanced to having a machine do it. It's called a "PulmoVest". It does the beating instead of a person.  I've never had to use the Pulmovest, but I've had patients who have had the treatment done.  Also, when I was a kid, frequent emergency room visits were the norm for me.. I'd get 3 shots of Adrenalin (epinephrine) to open up my bronchial tubes.. The thing is, the epinephrine is like speed.. so my heart would start racing and I would inevitably throw up every time. But at least I could breathe. Prednisone, Alupent, Slo-Bid, Theophylline, Theo-Dur, Azmacort, Albuterol, all those names were familiar to me as a kid and a teenager. I eventually grew out of my asthma.. now it only acts up if I've been exercising strenuously, or in severe temperature changes, (extreme hot or extreme cold), or if I have a cold, sometimes I'll have trouble with my asthma.  The advances they've made with Asthma these days are amazing. Very few are admitted to the hospital anymore with Asthma attacks. And also I find that if you can eliminate the triggers, you can virtually live without flare ups (smoke, dust, animal dander were my triggers).  Asthma can be serious. I had a sister who died of an Asthma attack when she was 2 1/2 years old. Of course that was back in the 60's.. but it does still happen , although it's rare.